Ethan's Paper Cranes
by sincerelyhecate
Summary: Ethan Nakamura survived the fall. When he was just a little boy, a senbazuru granted his wishes, and they unfold as he experience life in an exceptionally, well, exceptional school. Will he ever has the chance to experience true love and live? They revolve around a certain green-eyed guy who he falls over, in love. Ethan/Percy, Ethan/Alabaster. M-rated. Leave if you don't like it.
1. Chapter 1: Burnt Cranes, A Granted Wish

He was falling.

Dimly aware of the searing pain of his abdomen, the cold wind all blowing around him, roaring in his ears, the splattering blood blown away in a rippling streak of red, he knew that he was heading for the end.

If this was the sacrifice he had to make in order to maintain the balance of this world, it was worth it. He would endure this fate thousands of times for the justice of the unclaimed, the recognition of the abandoned, and the establishment of thrones of the disrespected.

Thrones.

A throne for his mother, in the golden and silver, marble-paved hall of the gods.

Finally recognised.

He vaguely remembered what caused him plunging to his death. The anguished cry of the Titan Lord of Time, Kronos over his betrayal. The flash of bronze as he attempted to vanquish the harbinger of imbalance by striking Kronos' neck. How the sword shattered. How the largest piece of Celestial bronze, sharp and deadly, ricocheted off against the impregnable Curse of Achilles towards him back. How it was embedded to his vulnerable abdomen.

His attempt was futile.

It was painful. A very unpleasant and tragic end for his… rather a heroic attempt to bring balance. One could have asked, what caused him to betray Kronos and his quest to destroy the Olympians and Mount Olympus?

_Oh. _

He remembered the pleading sea-green eyes, large and begging for him to reconsider his path. Saying that the scales will never be balanced if Kronos rise to rule the world. There will never be balance if the world was destroyed.

And he reconsidered, realising his mistake as the obvious truth almost knocked him over. Thus, he created his own path, treading along the way on his own. Alone. Without thinking, he had struck Luke Castellan, the host of the Titan lord, who bore the Curse of Achilles.

He will never forget the sea-green eyes, wide with horror, watching as he crumpled to the ground. The piece of his sword was jutted out of the middle of his abdomen.

The boy hastened to his side. He knew he had to make the boy promise. His mother must be honoured. The scale must be balanced at all cost. True success had always required sacrifice.

With what he believed with his dying breath, ragged and forced, he spoke. 'Deserve better… if only they just… had thrones –'

A chasm formed beneath him, a sign of Kronos' fury. He fell into oblivion.

The eyes were burnt into his memory. The eyes that he had unknowingly came to love so much. The eyes that he had wondered at the beauty of them, the prominent iridescent shades of sea-green. Smiling, he knew that the boy will fulfil his last wish.

For the sake of balance. He was a child of balance. His good eye brimmed with tears of joy and contentment as darkness crept from all corners.

**Meanwhile,**

Their battle was lost. Nemesis knew that the moment she saw the demigod Luke Castellan who hosted Kronos striking his vulnerable spot of the Achilles curse to destroy Kronos. And sacrificed himself in the process.

As she watched the Titan lord reduced to dust, she knew that any resistance was futile. The battle was at its end. The victorious Olympians burst through the gilded door of their Hall to find broken thrones and a few demigods who were now weeping for those who have fallen.

Too much grief. Too much sorrow. The air was heavy with despair. The scale was severely imbalanced.

And then she saw her son. Falling to his demise. She frowned.

_His duty is not over yet_, she decided, as she spread her wings and soared towards the falling unconscious boy.

**Moments after,**

Three old women, robed in white, were huddled together fulfilling their everyday task. Clotho straightened the particular thread of life with Lachesis determining its length with a rod. Above them was an image of boy wearing an eye patch, his good eye closed, his smile a display of contentment. Atropos was holding a rusty pair of scissors with her calloused yet wrinkled hands. As they prepare to cut the thread, they watched the scene changed in the image.

A blur of black and they saw Nemesis, the goddess of balance and revenge, carrying the boy away. Somehow, in the flickering image, Nemesis glanced at them. Beneath her war helmet, the goddess' face was a mixture of desperation and determination. The look on her face was as if she was about to say, _don't you dare_ and adding a _please_ at the end of her sentence.

Atropos glanced towards the other two. They had a silent argument for a moment, before she sighed and set her scissors down. 'Oh well,' she said. Her voice sounded raspy. Lachesis kept the thread of life away, a smile gracing her ancient face. 'He was such a sweet dear little baby when I first spun his thread of life, you know,' Clotho was saying as the other two looked on.

'Let's just give Nemesis a chance, shall we, sisters? A little more time,' Lachesis voiced out. The other two nodded, and they resumed their tasks.

No one tamper with the Fates, but of course, even the Fates themselves knew that there were souls that deserved to have their rightful ending on this world, written in their fates as well.

* * *

><p><em>Fold a thousand orizuru and the crane will grant you every wish.<em>

Seven year-old Ethan Nakamura was sitting on the carpeted floor, a stack of coloured papers arranged neatly near his feet. Several crumpled pieces were strewn on the floor but he was too busy concentrating on folding one between his spread-out legs. Pressing with his little palms, flatting out the creases, folding it back in; his hands and fingers were diligently finishing up the final touch to the origami.

'That makes nine hundred and ninety seven. And the paper cranes' left for me to make are…" his voice trailed off as he tried to silently count the remaining amount of paper cranes to make with his stubby fingers. 'Three more! I'm almost done, yeah!' he punched the air in delight. His cousin was still struggling to finish up another one. She grumbled, 'How did you even make it so quick, Ethan-kun?'

'Less talking, more folding,' he grinned widely. A silent _thump_, _thump_, _thump_ of a set of footsteps was heard at the staircase, making its way towards them. 'Kids, what's up?' a deep voice said. Ethan's father chuckled as he caught sight of the horrible mess in the study room. He let his gaze swept around the room, his eyes settling on the ten boxes neatly arranged on one side of the wall, just under the window sill, shadowed by a pot of water with freshly-trimmed lilies.

'You're making a progress on the _senbazuru_, I can see that,' said Mr Nakamura, referring to the thousand folded cranes that grant wishes. Without being asked, Ethan walked up to his father, tugged at the hem of his shirt, and explained, 'One box has one hundred cranes.' His father nodded, noting how the cranes were arranged accordingly to their shades of colours in every box, held together by strands of threads. The last box; which Ethan was working on, was filled almost to the brim, displaying paper cranes with shades of green.

'Why do you take the trouble to arrange them like this?' Mr Nakamura chuckled, kneeling down and facing his only son. 'I liked them balanced,' he said, still smiling, perhaps giddy with excitement at the fact that he was close to finally have his wish realised. His soft hazel-coloured eyes were bright, and his father thought that the smile was a little something that was worth protecting.

'Balance.' Mr Nakamura froze on the spot. His gaze appeared distant, as if he was reminiscing something. His cousin, finally finishing her share of paper cranes, muttered, 'Nerdy loser.' Ethan stuck out his tongue at her.

Ethan was trembling. Noticing the sudden motion, his father looked at him. 'What's wrong, boy?' He fidgeted under his father's stern gaze. 'I can finally have my wishes granted, right?' he said, remembering the Japanese folklore about origami cranes or _orizuru_ that his father had always told him as bedtime stories. His father nodded. 'What will you wish for, when the crane comes?'

Ethan looked at his feet. He wriggled his stubby toes. 'I want to meet Mother.'

His father's gaze darkened, and his eyes flashed menacingly. 'What did I told you about that rubbish again–'

His cousin suddenly piped up, 'You must never forget to wish for true love, too, Ethan-kun!' Giggling, Ethan shook his head at his cousin and trotted towards the middle of the room to resume his self-given task, leaving his father still kneeling on the floor. 'You have to!' his cousin was still saying. 'Shut it, silly!' Ethan laughed. Sighing at his son's utter denial, Mr Nakamura got up, propped one hand on the window sill and settled to look outside the window.

The dark sky was adorned by heavenly celestial bodies of mighty constellations and glittering stars. The moon was hidden in the midst of the grey clouds littering in the high heavens. A perfect night for such a wish. He wondered if the mystical crane will ever come tonight.

Ethan finished his last three paper cranes, occasionally stealing glances at his unmoving father, towering near him. He wondered what his father was thinking. 'Father?' he called for his father's attention. Mr Nakamura's gaze was still transfixed outside the window. He grunted, 'What?'

'What colour is this?' he asked, his hand fiddling with the last paper crane. His father turned around. 'It's the green shade of the sea.' With that, his father came towards him, patted his head, and made his way to the door.

'Oh,' Ethan nodded. 'I liked this colour.' He looked up, only to see his father was already gone. Standing up, he made his way to the boxes and went onto tie the strings of cranes to the window. His attempts proved worthless; he was not tall enough to reach the upper part of the window. Sighing, Ethan settled to just set the _senbazuru_ on the lower sill. His cousin had accidentally fallen asleep on the floor, the weight of her head crumpling the paper crane that she had made just five minutes ago. He left her be and went to his bedroom. His father will surely be mad if he had known that Ethan was still wide awake by half past ten. So he thought he better go to sleep now, lest his father return.

As the clock struck midnight, after making sure that everyone had fallen asleep, Ethan (who actually have not even slept) sneaked outside his bedroom and made his way to the study room. Smiling in regard to the hard work he had spent many months tending to; making a thousand paper cranes, he knelt before the window, and let his gaze settled upon the stars. He clutched to the last paper crane he had made, for he was afraid of losing his wish.

He could not afford for that to happen.

He closed his eyes, and silently made a wish.

He had never met his mother. He had never catch a glimpse of her smiling down at him as he wake up in the morning, or comfort him during his sadness and grief, to tell him bedtime stories as he fall asleep.

But somehow, when the time deemed to be the most perfect one to make a wish, he felt reluctant to wish for his mother. His father had spent countless times told him about how his mother had never loved him, how she would never give even a second thought about him even if she was still alive. She had left him and his father for good. If he even has the chance to meet her, can he guarantee that she will even love him?

And so, taking a deep breath, he obliged to his silly cousin's remarks earlier that night.

He wished for true love. For an opportunity to love and be loved. For a love that can move mountains. For a love he has yet to experience. For someone he can share the love with.

And the stars obliged.

He opened his eyes and raised them to the sky, and almost caught sight of a dark silhouette of a winged creature, gracefully soaring through the high heavens.

He smiled.

**Moments after,**

Ethan smelt something burnt. He groggily opened his eyes and yawned widely. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he saw smoke outside the window of his bedroom. Pushing the covers away, he stretched his back. He realised that he had slept with something in his hands. The sea-green crane origami was still in his clutches; the wings were now slightly creased, perhaps due to the pressure of his hands when he had promptly fallen asleep the moment he reached his bed.

The sound of crackling fire caught his attention. He pushed the windows open and gaze outside. The sun has yet to rise. The dark sky was tinged with a hue of orange and pink at the far horizon. He looked down and a gasp escaped his throat. His eyes went wide with horror as he saw his father, of all people, stood aside the burning mound of boxes in the lawn.

His thousand folded cranes.

Stifling a cry down his throat, he stomped down the flight of stairs, burst through the door and rushed to the scene. 'No!' he screamed, even though if it was already too late. He pushed past his father who was standing before the fire wearing an unreadable expression upon his face, and tried to put out the fire with futile attempts of blowing out with his mouth and fanning the fire away with his little hands. So far, he had only managed to blow away the smoke and ignite the fire even more. The product of his hard work was reduced to ashes in a matter of minutes. He managed to save only one, a forest green-coloured paper crane. The threads were in tatters. Most were already charred and singed. Some were torn and blackened with soot.

Mr Nakamura shook his head at his son's unbelievable behaviour. He yanked Ethan's left arm away from the sizzling mound of ashes and crumpled papers, and dragged his son back inside the house. Ethan was still crying and screaming, all the while attempting to kick and thrash at his father while clutching the only _orizuru_ survived. Two if the boy counted the sea-green one on his bed.

'You're evil! I hate you! I really hate you!' he practically screamed until his voice broke, and only stifled sobs were heard then, and the occasional sniffling and weeping.

Mr Nakamura just frowned.

He believed that his son's petty delusions might come to an end if he burned the so-called wish-granting _senbazuru_. He might even believe that the boy's foolish dreams were now too broken to be mended. He might even be _afraid_ for the boy's mother to return had he not taken the precautious steps to destroy the symbolic wish-granting. To put it in words, the boy's mother was _dangerous_. He had to prevent the crane from coming. For all he knew, he had to protect his son.

Unbeknownst to both the father and the son, it was just a little too late. Ethan's wish has already been heard up the heavens.

Sitting on top of the fence surrounding the perimeter of the small two-storey house, she was unseen by any living soul. Dangling her boot-clad feet in the cold morning air, Nemesis watched as the scene unfolded, a smug smile decorating the revenge goddess' lips.

* * *

><p>Ethan woke up with a start. His dream of the paper cranes was already dissipating, replaced with a burning feeling on his lower torso. His mouth tasted ashes. Groggily rubbing his good eye, he sat up on the comfortable bed, and took in the surrounding.<p>

'Oh, you're awake.' A familiar voice said, penetrating through his thoughts as he stared blankly at the cosy bedroom that he just had no idea how he had gotten there. There was a fireplace at one corner, paintings of beautiful sceneries and a gilded window, adorned with a vase of chervil. Outside, the sun has risen. Someone sat by the side of the bed, creaking as it took on the extra weight, and handed him a flask of a concoction that he figured out as nectar, heavenly delicacy of the gods with healing properties. He took it appreciatively and took a swig. His head cleared a little. His limbs loosened and relaxed.

He looked to his right side and came eye to eyes with his mother. She was the same as she appeared in his dreams before. Beneath her steely demeanour (technically her war helmet), her wavy hair tousled past her shoulders, her scowl as if permanently carved upon her somewhat beautiful ageless face. Normally she would assume a form as someone you would want to wreck vengeance upon. But for Ethan, she had always appeared as his mother. Perks of being the revenge's child, he guessed. 'Oh gods, so I landed myself in Elysium,' he made a mental note of not to sound too happy at his newly-profound achievement.

'Oh, don't _you_ have a high opinion of yourself,' Nemesis sneered and forcefully shoved the rim of the flask back inside Ethan's mouth. He yelped in surprise. 'What you did was heroic though, the gods had now decided to grant all the fallen _heroic _demigods from both side of the war a place in Elysium in accordance to the Jackson boy's wishes.' Ethan's eye widened at his mother's remark, a smile gracing his features. 'Really? But you said I'm not there yet. I feel like I am.'

'You're not dead, boy,' his mother sounded particularly bored, now handing him a piece of ambrosia, another godly food. He took a bite. It tasted mildly of apple pastry with green tea. 'I caught you mid-air, still falling, a thousand feet above the ground.'

Ethan's eye widened once more. 'You saved me?' The stern look that his mother had always worn softened, if only a bit. 'I believed you are not worthy enough to die just yet.'

'I'm dreaming,' he muttered, and received a well-given smack at the side of his head. 'Ouch, what was that for?' Nemesis sighed heavily, her eyebrows frowning. 'At least show some gratitude, boy.' He chuckled nervously, his right hand rubbing the sore pain at the side of his head. 'The war. Is it over yet?' he asked, noting that his mother was still clad in full battle regalia, her dark wings glittered menacingly at the side of his bed.

'Zeus offered amnesty to all of the gods who sided with Kronos,' she began, and noticed that her son was about to speak out. She cleared away his doubt, 'And yes, Kronos has been destroyed. That Castellan boy finally had some sense knocked to him, I supposed, striking out his Achilles' heel at the last second,' she continued, 'at his freaking left armpit, of all places he could have chosen.'

'Anyways, with his final wish and your _supposedly_ final wish,' Nemesis watched Ethan's gaze dropped towards the window, 'the Jackson boy, finally favoured by the gods as the hero of the war, requested them to heed to the wishes of the fallen ones.' A smile tugged at the side of her face, and Ethan grinned widely as realisation hit him. 'You will have a throne at the Hall of the Gods?' There were eagerness and glee in his voice.

Nemesis nodded slightly. 'And a cabin in Camp Half-Blood,' she smiled, serenely so. That was strange of her. When she smiles, it usually came up as a sneer. 'I have made peace once again with the Olympians.' Ethan punched the air in delight. 'Yeah! Percy did it!' he squealed like an overgrown child, and in his fits of joy, he embraced his mother. Nemesis looked intrigued and, somehow touched, by her son's sudden gesture. Normally the goddess of revenge and balance would blast anyone who tried to hug her into smithereens.

She wondered whether she was worthy enough of this act of affection. She was never a great mother. She had made Ethan suffer so much. But still, she hugged back anyway. He needed his mother in this time of dire and need. Her battle armour clinked and clanked softly, almost inaudible in the embrace.

Ethan flinched, taking a sharp gasp. Nemesis broke the embrace. 'The wound will take time to heal. Celestial bronze are quite deadly, mind you,' she said. While Ethan laid his head on the fluffy pillow, Nemesis rolled the hem of his shirt up to reveal his bandaged lower torso, patches of blood staining it in spots. 'Ouch,' was all he muttered.

'So, Mother, why did you save me, really? I mean, apart from me being unworthy enough to die.' Ethan rolled his eye. Nemesis eyed his son, slightly annoyed at his constant bombardments of questions.

'Well, for your information, I have just returned from the council of the gods. I knew that the battle was lost, so turning in and surrender was perhaps the sensible thing to do, thinking that perhaps I will have my revenge afterwards. And then of course, I saw Kronos final rage unleashed shortly before his destruction and he formed a fissure underneath your fatally wounded body, causing your fall. I saved you right away.' She cupped his son's chin, and affectionately stroked the edge of his eye-patch with her thumb. Ethan wore a surprised look on his face. Being affectionate never seemed to fit in with his mother. 'I made you suffer so much. I took your left eye, because I knew you would bring honour to us 'minor' gods. The term _minor_ does not even apply now due to you.'

'An eye was only a small price to pay, and I was willing and more than ready,' said Ethan, shrugging. 'It was rather a large price to pay, my son, considering that I am your mother, after what you've gone through in this war. I wouldn't even think twice when it comes to other people, but you are my son,' she averted her gaze to the window. The sun was rising, bursting with splashes of pink, orange and red. 'Curse that Aphrodite for intensifying the love in my dark and shrivelled heart,' she spat as Ethan chuckled.

'Anyways, shortly after leaving you all bandaged and rested here, still unconscious, I returned to Olympus. What I did not expect however, that the once arrogant and egoistic Olympians welcomed me in their arms. There were Morpheus, Hypnos and many other gods who had turned away from Mount Olympus to Kronos' side and the Titans before. Even Hades was there. I presumed he had always liked to hide inside his hole in the Underworld, sulking,' she sneered at the last word. Ethan smirked at his mother's sense of humour. 'In the hall, they offered us amnesty for our so-called treachery and invited us to join their council. Perhaps as a gesture of peace, for we were always disregarded before the war. Perhaps Zeus was afraid that we'll turn our backs against them again.

'Most of us obliged. I forgot my intention for revenge. It was all that I could wish for; being honoured. Hecate was the only one still fighting, unleashing her empousai and her army of monsters, manipulating the Mist in resistance, spurred by her foolish son who was urging her on,' she said, shaking her head. 'Alabaster,' Ethan muttered, his right eye wide with disbelief. 'Yes, that Torrington boy, her strongest child, the one with the most prominent abilities in magic.'

He remembered Alabaster, the child of the goddess of magic, Hecate, who was very close to Ethan during their struggle in the Titan's army. He remembered Alabaster's forest green eyes, how the sides of his captivating eyes crinkle when he smiles. Alabaster's handsome face, dotted with scattered freckles on his cheeks, his short-cropped brown hair, and how brazen his steely gaze was as he fight alongside Ethan, defying the Olympian gods.

'The Olympians threatened to destroy him. Hecate, well, the poor lass, many of her children had died during the war. In fact, amongst us the gods who have turned, her children were the ones who were killed the most. Not wanting more of her children to die, she gave up. The Olympians spared her child, of course, but they banished him from the lands of the gods. Into the ancient lands, so I've heard. A fitting punishment, I supposed.' Nemesis wrinkled her nose in distaste.

Ethan's gaze darkened. He wanted to criticize the Olympians' justice, but with all the good things happening, he kept his mouth shut, lest his mother would be disposed from the godly council as well if he does something foolish.

'All thanks to that boy Perseus Jackson, being all noble, turning down immortality, all the while requesting almost the impossible; honouring us, demanding thrones and cabins for us, demanding the release of the Titan Atlas' daughter, Calypso, from her banishment in Ogygia.' Ethan decided not to ask much about that. The information was still too much to process. 'What caught my interest was how he asked for all the gods to claim their demigod children the moment they turned thirteen. That was good, I supposed.' The goddess' gaze bore into the warmth of her son's hazel-tinted eye.

'That was beyond great, Mother!' Ethan squealed gleefully, and Nemesis almost thought; adorably. He was practically jumping up and down on his bed while laying down (took a lot of effort for him to do that), finally wincing as the pain of his wound took hold. His grinning face warms the coldness of her heart. Ethan, on the other hand, was so excited, he wanted to meet Percy as soon as he could and express his heartfelt gratitude.

'There was another thing. Your dream. Just before you woke up,' Nemesis looked at her son expectantly. 'H – How did you know?' Ethan stuttered. Nemesis rolled her eyes. 'I'm a goddess, in case you haven't noticed, and your own mother at that. What's more, you were unconscious for a day and a half.' Ethan was silent, his gaze averted to the cream-coloured ceiling above him. 'I saw it happen, sweetheart,' she said before smacking his head once again as he stared at her incredulously at the affectionate words. She did not think there was anything wrong with the word 'sweetheart'. She is a mother after all, even if she is the goddess of revenge.

'Humph. How's Father by the way, if you knew anything about him?' asked Ethan sarcastically, rubbing the side of his head. His mother quietly said, 'You may never know nor realise this, but I never stop watching you since I gave you away to your father.' Ethan brought himself to look at his mother. Without warning, a single tear glistened on his eyelids. He blinked, and the tear rolled down, forming a glistening streak across his red flushed cheek. Frustrated, he wiped the stupid the tear away. The nightmare was traumatic enough. He pouted. 'It's a stupid dream, nothing more.'

His mother took his right hand. Two _orizuru_s appeared on his palm. The sea-green one that he had clutched when he was little, making a wish by the window, and the forest green one that had survived the fire.

'I am the goddess of balance, vengeance and retribution. I ensure the scales to be balanced. You,' she jabbed her index finger at his chest, 'are a child of balance. And yet you are severely imbalanced. It will be a shame to you and an embarrassment to me.' She shook her head mockingly.

'Your wish was heard long before your father set the _senbazuru_ to fire. So, find balance for your own soul, carry out your duty to provide balance to all,' she paused as she smiled, before continuing, 'and search for true love along the way. It is your wish after all,' she stooped low, and her lips met Ethan's forehead. He shivered at the touch. 'You have my blessings, my son.'

She stood up and spread her great dark wings. Her sneer of a smile graced her face once more as she whirled out of sight into gods-know-where, disappearing in a gust of wind and twirling feathers. Ethan's head felt dizzy. His eyelids were now heavy, demanding to be closed. He obliged, and drifted to sleep.

The last things he heard before losing consciousness were the billowing of the cold winter wind and the rustling of leaves.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Greetings and welcome to anyone who is lucky enough to stumble upon this first attempted spin-off tale of mine. Note that I had always adore Ethan, so you really don't have to mind a bit if he was given another fair chance to live and have true love. It's a fanfic, after all. And the characters' points of views varies, shifts and changes throughout this story without any significant sign or warning, just a note to you, that's all. *says to self, 'here goes nothing!'

For those who didn't have this story in their favour, well, who asked you to read it in the first place?

For those who's interested in 'do-you-know's:

_Orizuru_ is a folded origami crane, while _senbazuru_ refers to a thousand folded ones. The Japanese folklore has it that anyone who folded _senbazuru_ will be granted a wish by a crane.

One might wonder if Nemesis is ever winged, but according to several depictions of her in the artefacts of Ancient Greece, she did have wings. To spread vengeance perhaps?

Reviews are **more than welcomed**. Hope you enjoyed reading!

_Sincerely, Hecate._

**Disclaimer**: All rights reserved of the _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ and the _Heroes of Olympus_ series belongs rightfully to Rick Riordan. The rest of the plot and any significant else are all specifically mine.


	2. Chapter 2: To Believe in Time

Ethan felt something landing softly on his right cheek. The ground felt hard beneath, the surface rough and bumpy under his touch. He opened his good eye. It was dark. He brushed the stray brown leaf from his face as his vision adjusted to the moonlight.

He was lying on the ground alone in the middle of nowhere.

The winter air billowing caressed his cheeks softly, and he slowly rose to his feet. His gaze swept across the surrounding. He was in a forest, amidst the tall trees providing cool shade around him. It was night, as he noticed the dark cloudy sky above, glittering with cluster of stars. He thought it was still morning; he cannot be unconscious by more that a few minutes after the meeting with his mother. Time felt wrong before.

He shivered as another gust of cold wind billowed past him, and pulled the loose grey sweater (that he was sure not what he was wearing before) tighter around his enclosed body. He started to walk, albeit not knowing where he was and unsure of where he was going. The leaves strewn all over the forest crunched under his feet as he strolled. He shoved his hands inside his pockets absentmindedly, and his fingertips brushed against something small. Curious, he took it out.

It was a fortune cookie.

Strange.

He vaguely remembered his conversation with Nemesis before he lost consciousness. He fumbled in his pockets once again and among all the things inside, he found a Celestial bronze dagger. Immediately, he felt pain throbbing in his lower torso. Ignoring the agonising phantom-like pain and the memory of being impaled by a Celestial bronze sword, he shoved back the items inside the pockets and continued to walk, reflecting on the conversation with his mother before. And trying to rationalize on why had his mother sent him here, of all places.

He was so deep in thought that he had not noticed that he was approaching a pine tree. He bumped into the tree face first, yelping in surprise upon collision. Rubbing the pain away from his nose and forehead, he glanced up and saw that he was standing under Thalia's pine tree.

He was at the borders of Camp Half-Blood. At the forest of the Half-Blood Hill, to be precise.

A surge of euphoria rushed through his veins, and he grinned in excitement. The guardian dragon was nowhere to be seen, to which Ethan heaved out a sigh of relief. He glanced up again, and saw the Golden Fleece draped amidst the thin branches of the tree, its magic enhancing the protective borders around camp. Nothing seemed to trigger any alarm or defence, so Ethan presumed that a harmless demigod passing through was not considered as dangerous.

But he trailed away from entering, just settling to stroll along the border. He cannot help but wonder at the eerie silence that was engulfing the surrounding. Usually, at a time like this, the camp would be bustling with activity. Curious, he approached the camp by passing through the border, and received the answer well after he stepped inside camp.

Concealing himself under a dark shade under a tree, sitting amidst the bushes, he saw the aftermath of the war. The campers were upholding the funeral for the fallen demigods. Many who survived were injured. Listening to the speeches, the occasional distressed wails and stifling of sobs, he was choking back silent tears himself. Many people that he had always knew for the past few years die at the hands of the Titans. The sounds, albeit the silence, was a definition of sorrow and despair. Shrouds of the dead were carried into the middle of the camp, the reminiscences of the fallen clearly remembered, even if their bodies were burnt.

And then Ethan saw him.

Percy Jackson's sea-green eyes were reflected with grief, overseeing the burning of a particular shroud of black silk, adorned with a symbol of crossed swords under a set of scales; the symbol of Nemesis.

It was Ethan's _own_ shroud.

He held back a gasp, and chose to smile instead. At the very least, they did not regard him as a traitor as he believed they would back then. Percy did not. He chose to remember him as a hero. They all did. He felt so touched that his eye moistened with tears, yet he felt unworthy at the same time. Needless to say, he was a soldier in the Titans' army, and he betrayed the Olympians. He betrayed Percy during their time at the Labyrinth of Daedalus.

Yet, he betrayed the Titans as well in order to bring balance. He knew enough that destruction would never bring balance.

Sighing, with his heart wrenching with guilt and worthlessness, his hand absentmindedly brushed against his pocket. He noticed a bump there. Oh. The fortune cookie.

Twirling it with the tips of his index finger and thumb, he wondered where this fortune cookie came from. They were not even real; most of the fortune inside will only bring forth lies and delusions in the form of revelations of luck.

There was nothing to lose. Or so he thought. He bit the cookie to crack it open.

There was a strip of paper. _Oh, here's the fortune_, he thought, quite mockingly. _I wonder what kind of fortune will befall upon me._ He smirked at the thoughts and started to read the words written on the cream-coloured paper.

_True love will find you if you believe in time. True love will find you through chivalric deeds and hardship asunder. True love will find you where you least expect. True love will find you…_

Ethan stopped reading. It was as if the words were trying to shove themselves in his brain. He whistled mockingly, muttering, 'How cheesy.' His supposed fortune was so annoyingly long; Ethan almost thought that it was really trying to preach the endless glories and ways to find true love that you usually read in fairy tales and occasional gossip magazines. With the words _true love will find you_ repeated so many times, it gave him the spins. Forget the true ones, will plain common love even find _him_? The child of the goddess of _revenge_?

He flipped the strip of paper around.

_Ethan Nakamura, you called your own fortune _cheesy_? I am sighing now, if you can really see me. Putting that aside, dear, your return is out of question. They are still licking their wounds from the war, the surprise they will receive will just be too much for them _now_ – _

Ethan did not finish reading that one too. Because a golden arrow had struck down the strip of paper between his fingers onto the ground. The almost impossible shot had the paper torn in two, precisely in half, missing his hands just by an inch.

Something, or someone, landed onto the ground directly behind Ethan. Without warning and Ethan have not even the time to turn around in shock, the person encircled their arms around his waist. The person, who he assumed as a man, pressed his chest to Ethan's back. Ethan felt the person put his chin on Ethan's right shoulder. Immediately, he felt a warm sensation engulfing his body.

It was just so oddly warm.

Ethan turned his head around a little bit to find his nose buried in blonde hair. He caught a waft of strawberry shampoo and hair conditioner. The person lifted their head, revealing the mischievously grinning face of an attractive-looking boy of about seventeen years old with yes, blonde hair and twinkling blue eyes.

Ethan had a vague idea of who the guy was.

Pouring courtesy and mannerism into his speech as much as he can, he addressed the god of the sun and prophecies. '_Lord_ Apollo?' The boy chuckled, sighing, 'the very same, his Awesomeness, yes.' The god released Ethan waist, though not before his sneaky hand groped Ethan's left bottom for a second, to which he yelped, blushing profusely. _More like his Pervy-ness, I wager_, he thought. Apollo was still grinning, winking his left eye.

Ethan felt the urge of smashing the god's handsome face into the nearest tree, but considering all the miraculous events of their world that were happening right then, and his mother's position, he managed to flash a meek smile at the Olympian god.

Under the moonlight, and the lights illuminating from the burning of the shrouds at the funeral, he studied the god, who was wearing worn-out jeans and a Camp Half-Blood orange shirt. He really looked no more than a seventeen years old teenager that Ethan had to wonder why the god had assumed such form. He had a bow strung at his left shoulder, set with a quiver of golden arrows, the sharp ends glinting menacingly under what little light that was present.

The god's blue eyes seemed to gaze through Ethan, too. He smirked, before saying, 'I have no idea how you are still alive, considering that they were busy burning your shroud there, Ethan Nakamura. And to find you, reading your mother's _made-up_ fortune she took from Tyche's cookie jar, a god cannot help but wonder…'

His voice trailed off, a smirk still visible upon his face. He was obviously letting his sentence hanging on purpose. 'Why would she make a fortune up for me, then?' Ethan asked, quite curious if Apollo really has the answer. 'My _lord_,' he added hastily, a hint of sarcasm barely present in his tone, which proved to flatter the god.

Apollo made a thoughtful face, his right hand under his chin, considering Ethan's question. 'Oh, if you do finish reading the fortune before I awesomely struck it down with such a cool stance from that tree over there,' he pointed towards a tree about a hundred metres from where they were standing, before continuing, 'Nemesis has her own reasons, as I presumed.

'The first was her hobby of countering the fortune goddess Tyche from spreading too many fortune and luck to people she deems as undeserving, which is what the goddess of balance really is supposed to do. Most fortune cookies were rubbish anyway, but still she had always insisted on changing them from good luck to bad ones.'

Ethan's fortune was not bad. That was strange. Apollo's face suddenly changes, as if he remembered some annoying things he had forgotten. Ethan took it as a bad sign.

'Do you want to know what your mother did just now, before the funeral?' Apollo's voice was mildly laced with rage. Ethan was about to shake his head no, but Apollo resumed speaking anyway, the tone of his voice rising by the second, 'during the feast to honour and celebrate the unification of all gods at Olympus, I finished up the vanilla croissants all by myself, much to her dismay. What do you expect? They're desserts and they're free! And I'm awesome! Nemesis took revenge on me by de-heading my figurines of the Mythomagic latest collection. I really love how the company portray me in their merchandises. What the _hell_ is wrong with her?' Apollo pointed at Ethan in an accusing manner. 'That was brutal,' Ethan agreed, imagining the god's headless action figures.

'Brutal, indeed!' exclaimed Apollo. Ethan gulped. 'Perhaps I can avenge my collection upon the revenge's child himself. Why not? Let's see what happens,' Apollo decided, before nocking an arrow on his bowstring. His form suddenly emanated light with a powerful aura.

This was getting bothersome, Ethan thought.

He decided not to be a victim of the Olympians' immaturity. It was annoying, and tiresome. 'B – But aren't haikus invented in Japan?' Ethan stammered, trying to conceal his fear with a smile that looked more like a grimace and holding up his hand with a _peace_ sign.

Apollo's face brightened up. 'Oh, you're a decent Japanese chap, aren't you? Would you like to hear my haiku recitation?' He has totally forgotten his murderous intention. Ethan decided to change the subject, already regretted mentioning haikus. 'What about her other reasons, apart from her hobby?' he asked. Apollo rolled his eyes, but he continued on, anyway.

'Secondly, I can see what your mother meant by the surprise the campers will have by the time they see you.' Apollo twiddled the arrow with his fingers, his gaze darkened. 'You are supposed to be _dead_. They _are_ still licking their wounds from the war. ' Ethan's heart rate increased. He took a deep breath. Apollo continued, 'we thought things were just about to calm down. And then something happened. The moment my new Oracle was blessed, she revealed another prophecy concerning the fate of the world; the Prophecy of the Seven.' A gust of cold wind billowed past them. Ethan shivered, pulling his sweater tighter around him.

'As much as your mother annoyed me, I understand her intentions. I'm quite surprise that the goddess of revenge herself is capable to care for others, especially you. She sent you here, at camp, to have a glimpse of your beloved, though you must tread along your path alone after this.' Apollo smirked at the mention of the word _beloved_. Ethan's face reddened, but he remained silent. He wondered how Apollo even knew all this.

'Give them some time. You yourself have to understand life after the dark path you chose before. Your childhood was stolen, anyway. Your beloved has a dangerous path waiting for him after this.' Concern engulfed Ethan's heart. He tried to ease his mind, and started to think.

'I suggest you to leave,' Apollo abruptly said, the god's words shattering through his pre-forming thoughts.

He leaned against the tree, trying to process all the information he received during this bizarre meeting with the sun god. Nausea hit him, but he ignored his pulsing temples. He took a deep breath and started to brainstorm his options. His heart ached to return to camp and meet the others. He wanted to meet _him_. But both gods that he has met in less than twenty-four hours had agreed that his return will cause shock. Again, he questioned the situation. Should not the campers be happy if at least one of them survives?

Just then, another wave of realisation hit him. He, Ethan Nakamura, was a _traitor_. Needless to say, he was the lieutenant of Kronos himself before this. What would they do of him if he returns, then? He finally reached the assumption that perhaps they now chose to remember his good deeds over his evil ones because he was assumed dead.

He brought himself to meet the god's gaze. Apollo approached him, his steps slow and sure, until he finally stood facing Ethan. He leaned in, and whispered in Ethan's left ear, '_True love will find you if you believe in time_.' And Ethan finally knew which path he will have to take.

His gaze softened. Leaning in, he whispered back at the god, 'Send him my love.' Intending to avenge his sexually-abused bottom, he kissed Apollo's cheek, muttering, 'and this one as well.' A pervert gesture for another pervert gesture, so Ethan figured that they were now even. Balanced, perhaps. Besides, the sun god was kind of cute. Kinda. He shrugged at his own thoughts.

Apollo did the opposite of what he expected; he smirked. He had hoped his gesture would annoy the god. _What a pervert_, Ethan thought, feeling annoyed. 'A proper welcome for enjoying your nice bum, I supposed,' Apollo winked. He glared at the sun god.

Apollo vanished in a burst of light.

**Later on,**

Ethan watched from afar, hidden amidst the shadows of bushes and trees, as Apollo approached Percy and a few of his companions shortly after the funeral. Their faces displayed various emotions of both sorrow and despair for the dead and the loss, or relief and happiness for the war has ended.

The crowd was a little surprised when Apollo appeared in front of them in a sudden burst of light. They nodded to him as a respectful gesture to the sun god.

Percy was holding Annabeth Chase's hand. The girl was slightly leaning on to Percy's side. Ethan immediately felt a twinge of jealousy rippling through him. He frowned.

Apollo leisurely strolled towards an unknowing Percy. He looked slightly alarmed, his sea-green eyes widened and his eyebrows rose. Ethan could not just blame him, because any normal human being would if a god was walking towards them wearing a flirtatious smile on his face and winking all the way. Oh, and slightly licking his lips. That god looked like he was about to have Percy in bed and make out with him right then.

Percy backed away a little. Apollo held his right shoulder firmly and leaned forward to his ear. He whispered something before nipping at Percy's earlobe.

Hey. That was _not_ on the list.

Ethan fought the urge to burst into the camp and smash the god's face. Or behead him like Nemesis de-headed Apollo's Mythomagic action figures. Apparently Percy had vaguely the same idea. His hand was feeling down his pocket for his magical pen that can morph into the deadly Celestial bronze sword Riptide in a whim. Ethan's nose throbbed dully. He remembered how the sword had once smashed his nose.

Percy's rosy cheeks burned red the moment Apollo kissed his right cheek softly. The message was sent, and Ethan breathed out a sigh of relief, albeit regretting that Apollo the pervert god had to be the one that delivered the kiss. He just smirked when he saw the horrified look on Annabeth's at the sight of them.

Percy, on the other hand, had his mouth gaped open, parted slightly in shock. Ethan could read his lips when he stammered Ethan's name in disbelief questioningly at the god. Apollo shrugged and vanished once again, before Percy had the chance to say anything. He froze on the spot, unsure of what to do. Besides him, Annabeth still had the horrified look on her pale face.

Well, who would not if the person you were sure to be dead sent their love and kisses? Ethan tensed up in his uncomfortable position under the tree. He shifted a bit, looking on at the camp, and saw something that was so worthwhile that he felt the urge to grab any camera existed and captured the moment.

Percy was smiling knowingly. His face was a display of contentment, albeit still tinged slightly pink, and he walked away in silence, Annabeth in tow.

Ethan smiled gratefully and made a mental note to burn some offerings later for Apollo. Taking one last glance towards Percy's direction, he took a deep breath, and walked out of the camp's borders, occasionally skipping happily on his feet, giddy with utter excitement.

The demigod walked and walked across the eerily silent forest into the unknown, trusting his instincts and the wisdom of his mother to go where life has much to offer.

* * *

><p>Annabeth had not meant it to be a break-up.<p>

A year later, she was summoned to a park ranger headquarter. Her hand fumbled with a handful of her maroon cardigan. She fidgeted on her seat uncomfortably, glancing sideways at the door which was slightly ajar. The park ranger seating behind a table in front of her wore a steely gaze on her face, her index finger occasionally tapping the wooden table in an impatient manner. A little owl was perching on the left arm of her chair, its large eyes staring at Annabeth, imitating the stern gaze of its mistress. Annabeth felt the urge to hit the bird in the head with her sling bag.

'He was always this late, was he not?' said Annabeth's mother through gritted teeth, the tone of her voice dangerously lowered. Annabeth cast her gaze on her lap, her cheeks burned slightly. Why must Percy always be late, especially in an important meeting like this? She frowned in irritation and managed a timid grumble, 'Not always.'

They waited for twenty-seven minutes, to be precise. Soon after, Percy burst into the office without even a courteous knock, cheerfully saying, 'What's up?' Annabeth glared daggers at him. 'Percy Jackson, flamboyant and loudly rude as always,' the park ranger voiced out her annoyance at the sight of the sea prince. The owl screeched indignantly at him.

'Athena,' he managed to stutter, gaping in awe and slight embarrassment that he was late for the meeting with the goddess of war and wisdom, who was dressed as a park ranger. Badges of honour were pinned on her uniform. In fact, she was currently the acting director of the branch. He was not expecting this, of course. He was expecting Annabeth to have a surprise date with him in the reserved forest park. 'Charmed to see you, my lady,' he hastily added, nodding slightly at her direction.

'Sit down.' Her tone clearly meant _business_.

He took a seat besides Annabeth, flashing a grin and whispering, 'Hey, Wise Girl, sorry I'm late.' She huffed, pouting angrily, her face sour and her arms crossed. Ignoring Percy's cheeky apologies, she addressed her mother, 'Why do you want to meet us, Mother?'

Percy was wondering about that, too. This was among the last things he had expected in their relationship; a meet-and-greet with his girlfriend's mum. It will usually end badly. No, _it's not badly, but just_… he hesitated. _Not so well_, he settled on that. He nervously ruffled his dishevelled black hair.

Athena waved her hand, and three files magically appeared out of thin air, landing on the desk with a few _thump_s. Her stormy grey eyes glinted in such an intimidating way that Percy had to look away, and try to focus on the stuffed moose head nailed on the wall instead. A bronze plate was fixed under the head, depicting the words _ARTEMIS 100814_. Sadly, his ADHD was not helping.

'Please take a look at your own reports.' The goddess said, looking pointedly at the black files. 'Reports?' Percy asked, quite awkwardly. Annabeth was silent, her hands trembling as she took one of the files. Percy imitated her movements, and the file slipped out of his hand when Athena pointed out that it was not his, but the other one. Setting the wrong file on the table, he took the other one, his lips pursed. Albeit not feeling itchy at all, he scratched his head as he flipped the file open.

He finally understood the situation. It was his student's report, the crest of his school engraved on the cover of the file. He braced himself to face the worst.

The goddess was silent, her eyebrows raised expectantly as the couple flip through their respective examination results. Her fingers stroked the owl's head fondly. Percy fidgeted on his seat uncomfortably, nearly jumping off his chair when Athena said, 'Well?'

Annabeth was looking down at her lap, her hands covering her reddening face in shame. Percy, however, proudly announced, 'Not bad,' nodding in mild satisfaction. Athena slammed her fist on the table. Both demigods jumped out of their seats.

'Not _bad_? Exactly just what is in your head when you dare to evaluate yourself that way in front of me, the goddess of wisdom? _Bad _was mildly describing it. Your results are _horrible_!' the goddess scolded in an enraged teacher-like style. Percy felt himself getting smaller in fear.

'And _you_, young lady!' Annabeth whimpered, her face buried beneath her hands and curtained beneath her blonde curls. _Well, that was strange_, Percy thought, taking a peek at Annabeth's opened file. According to the graph, her current results had declined compared to the past examination by a measly 0.05 percent. Otherwise, her results clearly demonstrated her status as a brilliant top student of their school.

'I expect better, Annabeth! The obvious decline is more than embarrassing for a daughter of Athena.' Annabeth winced. Percy could not help but noticed that the slight slope in the graph needed a magnifying glass to be noticed. 'Have you ever seen Malcolm's results?' Athena did not even bother to wait for an answer, tossing the last file to Annabeth instead. She caught it half-heartedly and flipped through the perfect records.

Percy remembered Malcolm, Annabeth's half-brother, who was literally a brainy blonde grey-eyed guy like her too (no surprises there, the word _literally_ meant that the children of Athena, who is a virgin, were magically born from her divine thoughts meeting with the mortal ingenuity of men she favours, so yeah, _brainy_), only with an additional package of having more sense of humour, and less intimidating.

'You should be ashamed that your brother _improved_ far better than you!' the goddess was still lecturing on about the importance of education in their family, showing no signs of stopping. 'You are my favourite daughter, Annabeth. You are wise. You succeeded in following my Mark and recover my Athena Parthenos when all of your siblings failed. You were one of the seven heroes of the second Gigantomachy and as a bonus; your weaving skills are intricately superb!' Each achievement mentioned by her mother felt like unconcealed accusations to Annabeth. 'Even Glaux here certify your amazing capabilities.' The owl was staring through Annabeth's soul with its cold eyes. Athena sighed, 'Yet I have to see this.'

Percy decided that as a responsible helplessly hot boyfriend, he has to back his Wise Girl up. He carefully began, 'My lady, we were just stretching out our feet after the fight against Gaea. We had just won the war a month ago, and to try catching up with the syllabus –' Athena abruptly raised her hand and Percy knew better than to keep going. He shut himself up instantly. His girlfriend glared at him, her look clearly saying, _you are not helping_.

'You are in no place for words, Percy Jackson. I suggest you to nail your results on your forehead so you can reflect upon them every morning,' the goddess' tone of voice was venomous. Her words ripped through him. 'Obviously, you inherited your foolishness from your father. Your mother is a fine woman, it's impossible for her to inherit those mediocre genes to you.'

Percy knew better than to defy a goddess, especially his girlfriend's mum. He gritted his teeth from blurting out the worst insults he could think of and glared at the goddess for humiliating his father. Athena ignored his hostile approaches and continued, 'Late night phone calls. Incomplete tasks. Sneaking out to the school roof together, skipping classes in the process. Weekly dates every Sunday.' The goddess gaze darkened. 'And you attempted to taint my daughter last Thursday. At least ask for my blessings first. Are you trying to turn her into a worthless good-for-nothing delinquent?'

Both demigods fell silent, unable to speak against all the true accusations by the goddess. Annabeth's cheeks were tinged pink, her eyes shedding silent tears of disgrace. Percy was gaping, his mouth slightly parted from shock, his cheeks flushed with colour from the shame.

He felt like the worst boyfriend ever.

'I have never really opposed your relationship. But remember this, son of Poseidon, to ask for my daughter's hand, you have to be secured in both education and finance. You will be the man of the house.' Percy could have sworn that the goddess' steely gaze softened. 'But this?

'As a mother, I want the best for my children. I deemed that you would be the perfect man for my daughter. You are a warrior, and I approve warriors the most as my children-in-laws.' Athena cast her gaze towards the door and motioned someone to enter. 'Let's see if you really are worthy.'

The woman who appeared before them was breathtakingly gorgeous. Her features shifted to various definitions of beauty; blonde curls to brown locks, mirthful green eyes to sapphire blue ones, her full lips transitioning colours, and her skin was flawless and defined. She was wearing an elegant business suit and black stilettos, carrying a Louis Vuitton handbag, her movement controlled yet graceful.

'Well, well, my favourite couple of the year!' exclaimed Aphrodite excitedly. She walked up to stand at Athena's side. 'It's a surprise that even the goddess of wisdom is asking for my service today.' Athena looked mildly irritated and said with an aggravated sigh, 'Just do what you're supposed to do.'

The goddess of love and beauty flashed all of them a million dollar smile before rummaging through the stuff (mainly make-up kits and latest issues of gossip magazines) in her black handbag. She paused for a dramatic effect, looking excitedly at the rest of them, before extracting what looked like a pink leather-covered Hephaestus tablet with a flourished announcement, 'Prepare to be amazed by Aphrodite's Love Consultations and Services!'

She flipped open the cover. After a few taps and swipes later, she turned the tablet around to face her unwilling audience for a better view of the application. 'Aphrodite's Love Calculator! You can download this app from Google Play or the Apple Store, whichever you prefer,' she said cheerfully, to which Athena had her eyebrows raised and the demigods looked on incredulously.

'I thought those things don't work. They're rubbish, anyway,' Percy absentmindedly piped up, wincing as Annabeth elbowed him on the stomach. Aphrodite's eyes looked murderous, although her smile did not fade. She ignored the sea prince's remark, before continuing her task.

'Perseus Jackson and Annabeth Chase. Divine parents; Poseidon and Athena respectively,' she was saying as her hands danced on the tablet's screen in a blur. 'Educational achievements, for Percy; none. For Annabeth is quite the opposite…' her voice trailed off, but both demigods knew that the goddess was saying things out loud to annoy them. Annabeth fumbled with her cardigan again, while Percy leaned his back against the chair. Both were impatient and curious to know the results.

As if on cue, Aphrodite raised the tablet, sighing, before sliding it across the table towards them, finally completed the _love_ calculation. 'Ta-da!' she exclaimed as the couple bent over to see the results, their face contorted with surprise, anger and disappointment. 'A terrible match!' the goddess gasped excitedly, clapping her hands together.

Athena nodded. 'Mother, you really do believe in this?' Annabeth asked, her face holding back a pained expression. 'She_ is_ the goddess of love, dear,' her mother said quietly, to which Aphrodite smiled appreciatively, her perfect dimples forming on her defined cheeks, her hands working on a manicure. Annabeth looked terribly crestfallen.

'You understand that, do you? To have the responsibility to love my daughter is a great task. You have to work and you have to provide if you ever get to tie the knot and have children. Other aspects are quite unblemished, except for education. Only through it will you then complete each other. With your current status of education, how can you even get to college? Then, how can you find a decent job without the proper certificates?' Athena chided him, albeit softly.

'I suggest prostitution,' Aphrodite said, shrugging as she received furious glares from the goddess of wisdom and her daughter. Percy almost considered that option, to be honest.

He considered his other options and found no other way but to proceed and work hard in his studies. Memories replanted themselves in his thoughts. He remembered his efforts to try and study, how he kept on getting expelled, having to change countless schools, his failing grades, and his dyslexia and ADHD problems. How hope crumbled in his mother's face, which broke Percy's heart more than anything, even if she shrugged it off and built up a new one.

He began slowly but surely, 'Lady Athena, I'll try my best. But the main problems are probably because of me being dyslexic and my ADHD, but I will try to overcome –'Athena slammed her fist on the table again, cutting off his speech. She stood up, intensely glaring not just daggers, but all kind of weaponry existed at him. The owl Glaux screeched. Both Annabeth and Aphrodite looked alarmed at the sudden shift of the goddess' mood.

Athena in fact, was seething with rage. 'Always with the dyslexia rubbish! I've had enough hearing these problems through every prayers and confessions!' she was practically yelling. Percy could not bring himself to meet eyes to eyes with the enraged goddess. 'Did these problems interfere and disrupt the demigods' education this much?' Percy nodded vigorously. 'But Annabeth and Malcolm are both dyslexics. All my children are! Needless to say, their grades are still excellent and outstanding!' Her daughter's face broke into a serene smile, as Athena continued her lectures.

Percy looked up. 'Well,' he rubbed the backside of his neck. 'They _are_ the children of wisdom herself,' he said awkwardly, and the goddess stood still, frozen on the spot, finally understanding the situation of the revelation. 'No wonder demigods nowadays have been pestering me throughout the examination seasons to overcome these problems. Well, you demigods are hardwired for Greek and Latin; it is your nature to be dyslexic. I can do nothing about it.'

She sat down again on leather-cushioned chair, stroking Glaux's feathery head softly, her gaze cast to the windows, out to the luscious greeneries outside.

'Both of you, be ready for your transfers,' Athena said, her tone of voice charismatic and commanding. 'We're yet on another war. This time, against petty problems of dyslexia and ADHD, threatening our demigods' education.' The goddess of wisdom smiled as she finally reached upon one of her wisest decisions. Aphrodite rolled her eyes, and resumed her manicure. Percy and Annabeth glanced at each other, their eyebrows raised in uncertainty.

'I will make the first move of my stratagem. I will establish a new institution for the children of the gods.'

**Moments after,**

The couple was sitting on a wooden bench in the deserted park, calming down and regaining some composure after the meeting with Athena. Annabeth was staring blankly ahead, thinking about matters Percy cannot decipher out from her face, holding her abandoned melting sundae cone. Percy was thinking about the discussion they had with the goddess just then, lapping on his cone and licking his smudged lips, his right arm rested on his girlfriend's shoulders.

'When all weaponry fails you, to depend on wit is the wisest strategy,' was the goddess' parting words.

_What was that all about?_ Percy thought. Shrugging that off, he _has_ to focus on his latest relationship goal now; to excel in his education by starting with at least having a passing grade for all of his subjects. He cannot forgive himself if he loses Annabeth.

Just as his spirit was lighting up with flames of determination and morality, Annabeth spoke up, 'I've been thinking.' He hummed quietly, waiting for his girlfriend to continue. 'That we need to have a break,' Annabeth said, she looked down, her gaze cast upon her lap.

His spirit crumbled as he dropped his sundae cone, the blue cream splattered on the cobblestone paved ground. 'B – Break?' he managed, his eyes widened at Annabeth's words, which were slowly shattering him. What was she thinking, after the chance that Athena has given to him to win her daughter's heart?

Everything became vague, and blurred. He loved her more than his life. He was more than willing to do his homework, finish all of his assignments, even if he has to spend the night at the school library. And now she was considering a break-up?

Annabeth brought her eyes to meet Percy's unyielding gaze. She has to do this for them. She was a disgrace to her mother, and being in that state, she doubted that their relationship will last, especially without her mother's consent and blessings.

And to top it off, Athena and Poseidon hold a natural rivalry between them since the ancient times. They were fortunate enough that their parents approved their relationship, albeit unwillingly.

After a torturous pause, Percy said, 'Fine.' He stood up, and Annabeth realised that he has taken the idea wrongly. 'Percy, wait!' She grabbed his wrist. 'You got the wrong idea, Seaweed Brain,' she tried to muster her strength to humour him, all the while trying to shrug the tension off. 'I meant that we have to take a break from all these lovey-dovey moments, and study until our grades meet my mum's expectations,' she managed to flash him a meek smile.

Her heart crumbled when he abruptly snatched his wrist from her grasp. Percy, on the other hand, was furious. 'Oh, lovey-dovey moments? You don't value our relationship at all,' he snapped. He hated how stupid it sounded when Annabeth referred to all of their precious moments. Why does she have to sacrifice their relationship for something as petty as that? For gods' sakes, they have ventured across Tartarus together and survived. They have vowed to never be separated again, _no_ _matter what happens_. Or so he thought, until now.

And yet here she was, dishonouring that vow, taking it for granted. In Percy's eyes, he saw only her betrayal.

'I'm not breaking up, Percy,' she attempted to beseech him. Of course, her pleas were always to no avail, given that her boyfriend was infamously stubborn and hard-headed. 'You might as well are,' Percy said through gritted teeth. He was definitely trying hard to restrain himself from raising his voice.

'No! I just need time! If you _believe in time_, you know how much our love can strengthen, how much we can persevere! It's for the better of us!' she reasoned, her voice unnaturally high-pitched. Standing up, frantically messing up her soft blond curls with her hands, she was now slightly panicking. Her sundae cone lay forgotten on the ground, as well.

'After all these years, you finally need time? Why did you waste your time falling in love with me in the first place? Did you ever fall in love with me?' Percy just could not bring himself to trust Annabeth any longer. The love he had held strong in his heart, the love that he had protected against all harm, was slowly dissipating, wasted away.

'Don't dare to question my love, Seaweed Brain! Why must you be so stupid?' she objected through her hoarse voice. The sweet nickname she had always called Percy no longer comforted him. It began to morph into an insult.

In fact, it really was insulting. That was the last straw. He flinched at the word _stupid_. Her eyes brimmed with tears when she saw his mirthless eyes glared at her with disgust. It pierced through her heart.

'You need time? Very well then, I'll give you a _forever_,' he finally said. 'I'm not fit to be with you. For all I know, I am not worthy enough for you, _Wise_ Girl.' It was Annabeth's turn to flinch. Her throat constricted and her vision blurred through the seemingly non-stop tears as she try again. 'I didn't mean that, Percy. I'm sorry!'

Aphrodite was right, all along. Both of them were a terrible match.

Percy smiled coldly. He swatted her soft and comforting hands away, rejecting her gesture to hold his shoulders. Annabeth whimpered, sobbing softly, her hands covering her face. 'Goodbye, Annabeth. Take your time.' He paused. 'I'm glad we fell in love.' With that, brushing off his shirt and straightening his posture, he walked away.

He turned around just in time before Annabeth has the chance to see the silent tears glistening on his cheeks. His breathing was ragged and his shaking fists clenched, the fingers pressing on his palms so hard they bled.

Annabeth sat down again on the cold hard bench, burying her tears-sodden face in her trembling hands. She cursed herself for being ever the disgrace to everybody she loved.

The sky above darkened with grief for the broken love.

* * *

><p>Ethan was busy arranging the vanilla cupcakes on the platter for display. He leaned backwards a bit to admire his work. The cupcakes were intricately decorated with chocolate chips and swivels of cream. Strawberry jam lined the brim of the cups, and dark red cherries topped the icing. He smiled, taking pride of his artistic muse.<p>

He went to the counter, fetched his writing pad and strolled around the café, tending to the ever-growing amount of costumers, taking orders and serving various Japanese delicacies, pastries and beverages. The Cherry Blossom Café was particularly packed with people tonight. Ethan sighed, although he was thankful for the crowd; he will definitely get a bonus from his boss by the end of the month if he worked hard enough double time.

A woman who was sitting on the table all by herself raised her hands, calling him to take her orders. He walked up to the woman, who was wearing black leather biker-pants with matching boots, and a blood-red leather jacket. Her left wrist was covered with spiky iron bangles, and her neck was decorated with iron chains. Weirdly enough, she was carrying a whip.

Ethan nearly dropped his writing pad when the woman flashed the familiar sneer of a smile at him, saying, 'Hello, dear.'

'Mother? What on earth are you doing here?' he asked incredulously. Nemesis twirled a few strands of her now curly hair, which was always tousling past her shoulders. 'I will ignore your rude question and get down to our business,' the goddess of revenge said coolly, curtly nodding to beckon him forward.

'Pack your things up. You're going to a new school.'

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>: In this installment, which is slightly longer than the first one, I present to you my attempts to make emotional interactions, and I hoped I did not write utter rubbish;

I hope that my portrayal of Percy and Annabeth did not describe them as bitchy and inconsiderate, but rather desperate, suffering from emotional distress. Unwise decisions are always made. I'm also hoping that I'm not rushing in too much. Percabeth shippers, please don't kill me.

Or the fact that Apollo's a pervert (Well, I always imagined that he is). I'm sorry (if it bothers you) for describing the immaturity of the Olympians by putting in action figures and love calculators in the plot. Brilliant ideas only come at the brightest moments. I haven't one of those, apparently. If it's crap, well, just ignore it and forgive me.

At least I've tried *cries and tears hair out

I dare to believe that there are developments for certain characters and events, so they will surely continue along the flow of the tale in future chapters. Thanks for reading, to anyone who gladly spent their time to. I love you.

For those interested in 'do-you-know's:

Athena's owl was in fact a Little Owl (_Athene noctua_) and the name Glaux refers to the silver tetradrachm coins used as Athens' currency back in the ancient times. It was her symbol of wisdom and her sacred animal.

I hoped this chapter will entertain you to your expectations. **Reviews are more than welcomed**.

_ Sincerely, Hecate._

**Disclaimer**: All rights reserved of the _Percy Jackson and the Olympians_ and the _Heroes of Olympus_ series belongs rightfully to Rick Riordan. The rest of the plot and any significant else are all specifically mine.


	3. Chapter 3: Unexpected Encounters

The day before Ethan's mother had unceremoniously barged into his work place, the Cherry Blossom Café was enduring a severe business decline. The prior week has only sported less than five costumers daily, an amount so small that Ethan almost thought that the citizens were having No Sushi Week or similar ridiculous occasions that time.

So the realisation hit him hard as he watched his mother eating two servings of sushi and drinking caramelised milk tea, all the while maintaining the posture of a noble woman; legs crossed, hands twirling spoon and fork as she chewed morsels of food into her mouth. Though it was actually a weird way of eating sushi, though.

The presence of the goddess of balance has caused the rise of visitors coming to the café.

Balance.

_She balanced the situation out; making up the loss of the costumers before_, Ethan thought as he turned his head around, watching the crowd's animated behaviours all around him.

'So I see that you are living well enough,' commented Nemesis, studying her sixteen years old son. Ethan could not have agreed more; he attended school, he has a part-time job, a small apartment to stay with a reasonable renting price, and he has companions that did not question nor pry into his past. It was rather a pleasant outgoing life, given that he has no particular bright childhood. Either way, he learnt to appreciate his life now, even if the sky's not always blue. There's always a problem here and there. He has the usual ups and downs; which he appreciated.

He has a normal life, through and through. Oh, unless for the fact that he is a demigod and the monsters' attacks every few times. The Celestial bronze dagger has proven to be useful by then.

'While I eat, perhaps you can tell me your story after leaving camp,' his mother was saying, dabbing the corner of her smudged lips with a napkin. 'I would like to know.' Ethan fumbled on his _chibi_ bunny and cherry blossom-patterned apron, clearing his throat. 'Apart from the weekly attacks from monsters, it's nothing much, really,' he said, straightening his cap.

* * *

><p>Well, as soon as he left Camp Half-Blood, he walked back into Manhattan, roaming around the busy city for two days, sleeping in the streets. He bought food with the few amount of mortal money that he found included in the grey sweater, and apart from that, he tried to survive and adapt to the new life he was having.<p>

He was having a particularly nasty fight against an _empousa_, a vampire that feeds on men's flesh, one day when another demigod came to his aid. Together, after much stabbing, spell casting and wailing, the _empousa_ was brought down to its knees, pleading, 'have mercy on the Dark Lady's servants! Have mercy!'

It had turned out that the demigod was a daughter of Hecate, and she did not even flinch when she cast a destructive spell that obliterated the head of her mother's servant, reducing it to dust.

Ethan was quite delightful and awed to meet another demigod living a solitary life, especially for an adult. For all he knew, life was tough outside camp, and many demigods did not make it past their adolescence when they left the safe borders and tranquillity of the camp. He began to tell the woman his story; being a son of Nemesis and leaving camp to search and discover the meaning of life, regaining his lost childhood et cetera.

The woman stared at him with a suspicious look, before shoving her wand to his throat threateningly, demanding him to explain himself instead of rambling nonsense and lies. He was terrified and stunned when this supposedly demigod claimed herself to be a witch, and questioned him as to why he did not make use of his wand, then asking whether he was a normal wizard or a 'Squib' (or squids. For all he knew, it was the woman who was _rambling_ nonsense, in a British accent).

Ethan knew that the day was bound to be interesting, already with the monster's attack and all. A witch, huh?

He attempted to look intimidating by aiming his dagger at the woman and keeping up his guard all the time, refraining himself from trembling under the wand's mercy. He explained his situation slowly and surely, finally reaching the conclusion that this woman was rather a follower of Hecate and not the goddess' own daughter, for she claimed not to have heard of the name.

Wait, does not that mean that the woman was also not her follower? Ethan decided that his brain could not take it much longer and assumed that this woman was a common practitioner of magic, or perhaps a woman who could see through the Mist, albeit wondering how the woman obtained her powers.

The woman, who introduced herself as Ginevra, or Ginny for short, decided to take on his story, although eyeing him suspiciously like he was mentally severed. She offered to walk him to rather a fancy and delightful café where they serve excellent Japanese delicacy downtown, adding that the 'Muggies' (he was confirmed that the woman was having a few screws loose in her head) service was very efficient and professional, maybe have a little chit-chat there. Ethan saw no reason to decline the kind offer, hoping that he may stumble upon useful along the way, like a job.

He might even be a little bit afraid of the woman's incredible abilities, which definitely indicated her vast power.

'What's _Muggies_?' Ethan asked curiously, already imagining magical creatures with human-like intelligence, like elves or goblins, given that the name was kind of funny and fairytail-ish.

Ginny stifled a laugh before answering, 'It's Muggles, dummy. Seriously, you have to see a healer right away. I could take you to one if you want to.' Ethan shook his head no. Ginny shrugged and said, 'They're non-magical people, and they're truly oblivious of our world. It's common knowledge.'

Oh, so she was referring to mortals.

Ethan nodded incoherently when she stared at him.

'Our world' and 'common knowledge' was not something that Ethan has the idea of. _Perhaps she believed that I'm a wandless wizard with no memories or something_, concluded Ethan (thinking _LOL_ along the way), noting that his prowess in battling monsters, his knowledge and his powers of inflicting vengeance in battle definitely impressed Ginny.

He remembered how he stabbed the _empousa _mercilessly, balancing out after each blow he received, albeit his usual defensive battle stance; finally realising and using his abilities at its fullest potential.

They talked no further along the way. Ethan studied Ginny who was wearing a beige skirt, a green jumper and has her red hair braided French style. Her lips were pursed while she walked, occasionally stealing glances at him when she thought he was not looking. The son of revenge tried very hard to fixate his stare on the curb as he strolled aside the said witch. She was making him nervous.

After a walk of five minutes, they arrived.

_THE CHERRY BLOSSOM CAFÉ_

_Japanese delicacy and bakery_

They came upon a beautiful café at the ground floor of the block, with soft pink umbrellas providing shade for the outdoor tables. It seemed that the café adapted oriental designs as the main theme. The floor was hard wooded and the colour of oak. Round tables with chairs occupied most of the main dining space, whilst for those yearning to experience the Japanese way of eating, a space was reserved for the purpose, decorated with beautiful mats and low tables with pillows as seats.

Branches of cherry blossom decorated the ceiling, hence the name, whilst on the walls, colourful _yukata_ and _kimono_ were hanging onto the decorative nails, complete with fans and wooden sandals; adding up to the oriental atmosphere. Papers with Japanese inscriptions hung by the windows. Ethan noticed a _maneki neko_, the fortune-bringing cat, with its automated left hand waving on the main counter.

A teenage girl wearing a black uniform shirt with pink lines, black slacks and a cap adorned with bunny ears greeted them. A floral-patterned apron was tied to her slender neck and waist. She has the appearance of a _shoujo_ from an anime Ethan vaguely remembered, with braided brown hair and a charming smile. '_Ohaiyou guzaimasu_! Welcome to the Cherry Blossom Café, allow me to bring you to your tables,' the waitress courteously said, beckoning them towards a table for two.

By the judge of her accent, she must be at the very least Japanese American by standard. As soon as the waitress was back, serving their ordered menu on the table, Ethan tried his luck. '_Ano_…' he cleared his throat. The waitress looked at him; her eyebrows raised yet her mouth curled up still smiling kindly.

In Japanese, which is a language that he rarely speaks, he asked the waitress of any available job vacancy in the cafe. Ginny gazed at him with mild interest, slurping her _udon_, while the waitress answered him in Japanese, her voice laced with surprise and excitement, 'Oh, you're Japanese? Me too!' she giggled at her own statement before introducing herself. '_Watashiwa Mirai desu_.' She paused to think. '_Ano_, I'm not sure about any vacancy here but I can ask my boss about that.' And so she left them, disappearing behind the swinging doors behind the counter.

Ginny was a lady with little to say. She watched him intently chewing on his _onigiri_, all the while briefly telling her story; a holiday-cum-tour here in New York and the rest of the United States with her family. Before marriage, she studied in a wizarding school back at Scotland, which prompted her into asking, 'so, apart from Salem Witch Institute and a Brazilian school that I've heard of, where else did you Americans study magic?' She jerked her head towards the Celestial bronze dagger in its shaft attached to Ethan's waist. 'I mean, your dagger must have some kind of magical properties. With every strike, it did _commendable _serious damage on that nasty vampire, for a wandless bloke like you.'

Well, apart from her reference to the _empousa_ as a vampire, Ethan decided that being a possible wizard in her eyes was just too much. He knew nothing of manipulating the Mist and magic, for he was never claimed to be a child of Hecate.

'Again, Ginny, I'll try to make myself clear. I'm _not_ a wizard!' he whispered, lest the mortals heard him. Ginny raised her eyebrows before rolling her eyes. 'I'm a demigod. _Demigod_,' he pressed on, poking his _onigiri_ a little bit too hard to make emphasis. It has a hole now. 'I'm a child of a goddess and a mortal, which makes me one. Does that ring a bell to you?'

Ginny looked at him. 'Okay, mister, I'm going to bring you to a healer. No matter what you say.' She took out her phone, looking very much flustered and red in the face, a mixture of worry and annoyance engulfing her.

'Ginny, please stop,' Ethan was almost begging now, keeping his voice low. She subconsciously hit her forehead with the heel of her palm softly to get rid of the headache from dealing this weird guy. 'But you must at least be a Squib to know all this!' Sighing, she thumbed out the numbers on the screen to call someone.

_Man, this woman is seriously imbalanced_, thought Ethan.

He took the witch's other hand and closed his eye. He never attempted this before, but there was nothing to lose, either way. Her annoyance was starting to get on him. Ginny frowned. She stared inquisitively at the boy in front of him, bracing herself to see what happens.

In all of a sudden, a sense of calmness rippled through her, likened to the soft breeze brushing the surface of a stream. Her flushed cheeks paled to normal and her eyes drooped, a little smile gracing her lips. She hummed contentedly, mildly surprise on how magical the demigod's touch was to her. Meanwhile, Ethan slowly opened his eye, his concentration unwavering.

'You okay now?'

'Better.'

He had summoned a surge of Nemesis' power of balance and concentrated it on Ginny, who seemed to be much calmed now, rather than her worried and slightly-panicking self a few minutes ago. She took a deep breath. 'So, now I guess I'm,' she paused. 'Balanced?'

Ethan nodded.

Ginny took two more subsequent breath of air before letting her gaze bore through his hazel brown eye. 'Again, I want to know your story, I mean, like, I really want to know' she pursed her lips after muttering those words, starting to believe that the boy was being honest and truthful. She twirled the _udon _with her chopsticks before slurping it, her gaze unwavering still. Ethan took a sip of his fruit punch.

'My mother is Nemesis, the goddess of balance, revenge and retribution. My dad's a mortal, or what you magical folks called as a Muggle. Therefore, a child born from the unification of a deity and a mortal is a demigod.'

Ginny nodded before asking abruptly out of the blue, 'Who's Hecate? The one you've been rambling about, me being a child of her and all.' Ethan smiled at her impatience to gather information all at once. 'Whoa, okay, okay.' He cleared his throat before continuing, his eye settling to watch the curved petals of the cherry blossoms above.

'Hecate is the goddess of magic, crossroads and the Mist. Her children are born with magical abilities; spells, potions and whatnots. She's also the creator of the _empousai_, the vampire we killed this morning. That's why I thought you're her daughter or something, doing spells and those killing hocus-pocus.'

Ginny nodded, her eyes now brightened with interest. 'Well, I must tell my sister-in-law about this. She's kind of the brains here. Our trip was just an excuse to visit your government, after all.' Ethan spluttered out his juice. He reached a pink napkin on the table and dabbed his wet chin. 'Why? You wanna meet our President?'

'Well, not the Muggle one and not exactly him but rather the one of our kind,' Ginny said with a shrug. 'Well, apart from the kids, most of our trip group members are made up of Aurors and the Ministry lot. Yeah, you know…' her voice trailed off, searching for the precise word for explanation. '… kind of a group of Dark wizard catchers, like the Muggles' police. Yup, that's it,' she managed with a smile. 'Something like that.'

Just then, before Ethan had the chance to ask her about the ongoing events of the wizarding world, the waitress who served them earlier approached with a friendly smile, almost looking excited when she said, 'The boss gave his green lights! You can meet him later,' before walking off to tend to another demanding costumer, setting her bunny ears upright.

Ethan sat upright on his chair and asked if Ginny has a compact mirror or something just as helpful. He believed he was in state of completely wrecked. She laughed at his awkward attempts to make himself more presentable and decent.

'Here, let me help you.' The witch flicked her wrist, her wand sparking a little. Instead of an explosion (_thank the gods_, thought Ethan), his short and tousled hair magically redo themselves to look neater. Another wave and his crumpled and creasy clothes smoothened, and after the last incantation (this one produced a puff of lilac smoke which surprised Ethan, if only a little bit) and he caught a waft of lavender. He was already imagining its pleasant scent swirling like mist around him. Raising his right arm, he sniffed in disbelief, much to Ginny's amusement.

'Wow, thanks,' was all Ethan could say, an earnest smile gracing his lips. Much thanks to Ginny's spells and the meal he just had, he felt a lot fresher and energised. 'Well, I could spare a Galleon or two,' she said before laughing as the demigod stared blankly at her. 'Forget that, it's our currency, and I'm sure you don't use them,' she giggled. Ethan heaved out a sigh of relief.

Truth be told, Ginny did not mind at all. Besides, she began to adore him, being rather a messy teenager yet still maintaining the cute look. And terribly good-natured for a child of whom people hailed her as the revenge goddess.

Ethan was about to take out a few drachma when he remembered the few mortal money he have to pay for the food at the counter. Ginny waved him off and tell him the meal was on her. Grinning, he walked her outside, having to stay there afterwards. Before she left him for her residency her family was staying, the witch said, 'Hold your palm up.' The demigod obliged and Ginny waved her wand. A phone number surfaced on his palm, written in black.

'Hey, can this thing even come off?' Ethan tried wiping it against his sweater but to no avail. 'Oh, it will when you commit it to memory,' Ginny smiled, tapping her wand onto the right side of her temples. Ethan just shrugged. 'Well, thanks for the meal, Ginny, and thanks for helping me out with the _empousa_,' he held out his hand and the witch shook it with a smile. 'Me too.'

And so, Ginny Weasley departed, waving earnestly as she walked down the street. 'May fate smiles upon you, child of revenge,' was her parting words, flashing Ethan a fond smile. He almost thought that she uttered those words with a capital 'F'.

'May the Fates smile upon you too,' he whispered with a faint smile, already longing the amusingly kind-hearted and cheerful witch's company, watching her silhouette disappear as she turned around a block, before he entered the café once again.

* * *

><p>'Ethan-kun, this costumer personally asked you to decorate his Choc 'n Crème cupcake blue. And fix him the usual coffee that goes with the set. Think you can manage that?' a waitress poked her head into the kitchen. He nodded, albeit wondering at the peculiar request.<p>

'Coming right up, Mirai-chan.' He flattened a ball of blue icing onto the board with a roller, all the while reaching up for a warmly baked cupcake to proceed on the decoration. His hand expertly shuffled to finish the cupcake, humming a tune he was listening with Mirai's iPod.

_Blue?_ Classy choice. He applied the finishing touch by scattering blueberry bits on top of the swivelling cream. His mastery of the art was commendable now that he has worked there for roughly a year.

He settled the cupcake on a white porcelain platter along with a cup of caramel coffee and set it on the counter. 'Mirai-chan, here's the order,' Ethan said, and the waitress placed it on her tray, nodding gratefully as she swerved around a table to the costumers waiting. He stood there, enjoying the song, tapping his fingers on the counter, relishing the short break he was having. The amount of visitors was not that many, so tonight's shift was quite relaxing.

'Mr Pirate, Mr Pirate,' a squeaky voice snapped him out of his temporal daze. He looked down and saw a blonde boy wearing light blue pyjamas waving at him. 'Can I touch you?' the kid said, not trying to contain his excitement. Ethan smiled slightly, and leaned down to pat the boy on his head. 'Hey, kid.' The boy touched his hand with his stubby finger. 'Arr,' Ethan said for effect.

The boy squealed in delight, running off to find his mother, who was having an evening sushi meal with their family. 'I touched a pirate, mummy!' Ethan saw the mother frowned, and his tendrils of thoughts snaked their way to Nemesis. He wondered how _his_ own mother was doing right now. Perhaps she was busying herself spreading vengeance around the world, officially as an Olympian goddess. The demigod sighed.

The little boy's mother took noticed of him and waved, smiling apologetically at his son's behaviour, who was still bubbling off about the pirate with a panda eye. He waved back earnestly.

Panda eye, huh? His fingers absentmindedly traced the outline of his new eye-patch, his lips curled up into a smile, his cheeks flushing slightly.

**There was a moment,**

Ethan distinctively remembered when Mirai asked him out for a cycle around the park one day. They were enjoying the warm afternoon, when she saw a panda mascot selling fresh dumplings at a food stand. Ethan was not paying attention, of course. He was gazing at the dusky sky; the shades of blood red, pink and hues of orange clashing each other to form a beautiful vista.

'Ethan-kun, look!'

He ignored her.

'Ethan-kun.' She was still being ignored.

Fuming, the girl pulled the elastic string of Ethan's eye-patch forcefully to catch his almost non-existent attention and thus turning his head to see the panda man. It was a little bit too forceful. The string snapped off, thus the eye-patch fell off too, revealing an empty eye-socket, a deep scar running diagonally over it.

Mirai had to look away. Her hands suddenly trembled as she remembered the sight of what was hidden behind the smooth black fabric covering Ethan's eye. Or what was left of it.

'_Gomen_, Ethan-kun! I'm so sorry!' she stammered, as the boy glared at her dangerously, his teeth gritting. He covered his blinded left eye with his hand, as the view will be too grotesque for people to watch. Mirai gulped, and her throat felt hoarse. She knew how vengeful her friend can be, even for a kind and good-natured fellow. Her ex-boyfriend spent three days in the general hospital because Ethan took the matter too seriously to his heart when he saw her crying at the alley behind the café because of that shithead of a boyfriend.

Yeah, he had beaten the guy into a less-than-recognisable orange pulp.

'I'll replace it, seriously!' she stuttered, shoving inside the pocket of her jeans and retrieved a pair of sunglasses. He snatched it angrily and shoved it to his face. Mirai was bowing repeatedly, promising him a treat of dumplings. He just nodded. To at the very least tip the scales to balance, he pinched his friend's side for good measure. 'Take that!' he grunted and Mirai squealed at the ticklish sensation. 'I'm so sorry!'

After a meal of dumplings and fluffy red bean buns, they went back to the café for their night shift. Ethan was still deathly quite with a frown decorating his face as they worked in the kitchen. Feeling extremely guilty, Mirai decided to stay up for the night so that she can see his adorable smile once again tomorrow.

The next day, busying himself slicing the carrots up, Ethan was alarmed when a sneaky hand pulled the sunglasses away. 'What the –,' he yelled when another hand clamped his mouth shut. He puffed up his cheeks in annoyance when he realised that it was Mirai. She fitted something on his head over his left eye and his hand instinctively shot upwards to touch it.

Mirai spent the night stitching and sewing up a new eye-patch. The bumpy surface told him that it was not just the regular boring black one. Mirai shoved him a compact mirror. 'You looked handsomely _kawaii_!' she giggled in excitement.

A _chibi_ panda head with red circles for blushies and big cute eyes was sewn on the black-eye-patch.

He screamed in embarrassment as his colleague fell on the floor rolling with laughter.

* * *

><p>Reflecting her craze for <em>chibi<em>s, Mirai had made him three more eye-patches; one with a _chibi_ bunny on it, another looked like a button and the last one has a big round puppy eye you always see on _chibi_s.

He smiled at the memory, and no, he did not wear the panda eye-patch on a daily basis because people said he looked cute.

Well, actually he did.

'Ethan, someone choked on _wasabi _in their sushi, could you bring a glass of cool water for table seven,' a voice interrupted through his thoughts. A waiter was patting his hand on his shoulder. 'On it, bro,' he said to the waiter, fetching a large glass. _Wasabi_ are no small matter.

He was bringing the glass of water and a napkin (in case the costumer made a mess in his choking fit) to the specific table when he saw a familiar girl with golden hair.

It was Annabeth Chase, Athena's favourite brat.

She was sitting with another three teenagers around table seven. One guy, with dark hair, was still coughing, recovering slowly from the spicy treat of the _wasabi_ while the other two ate their meals and laughing; a girl with choppy brown hair decorated with feathers and a bespectacled guy with short-cropped blonde hair, who was saying between laughter, 'Told you to slow down on the sushi.' Ethan quickly turned around the opposite way, his lips trembling when he heard a familiar voice. 'Hey, you!' Annabeth called.

He tensed up and coughed a bit, his heart felt with dread. Well, he was supposed to be _dead_. He knew it was simply not the time for them to face the revelation of his survival.

'Can we have that glass of water, please? We ordered it,' the daughter of Athena was saying. Ethan then realised that they have not recognised him yet. His free left hand fumbled inside the pocket of his apron to retrieve a pair of sunglasses that he had always kept in case 'the panda man with dumplings' incident happens again. Noticing his still trembling hand, he shoved the sunglasses over his eye and eye-patch to conceal his appearance. There was no time to worry about how ridiculous he looked.

He faced the direction of table seven and walked as casually as he can manage. He saw the blue cupcake that he prepared earlier on the table. They were staring at him intently as he set the glass of water on the table. He suddenly felt very self-conscious.

The choking guy began to cough in a terrible pace, and in a state of panic, Ethan saw him grabbing the cupcake instead of the glass.

Well, the boy was none other than the great hero Percy Jackson.

Everything went into slow motion as he shoved the intricately decorated cupcake against his face, mistaking it for water. The girls were gasping in shock while the blonde guy said in an equally surprised tone, 'Whoa, bro!' Percy's voice was muffled under the splattered mess of the delicious encrust of delights. He doubled over, coughing, and Ethan took his chance.

He wiped the sea prince's mouth gently with the napkin before setting the cup to his lips. Percy gulped the cool water, his sea green eyes brightened, humming appreciatively. Ethan's heart was hammering madly in his chest. The blonde boy rubbed soothing circles on Percy's back, saying, 'There, there.' Annabeth silently sipped on her mocha coffee and the girl whom she addressed as Piper sipped her raspberry smoothie with great interest, her charming face glowing. A feather wiggled slightly on her braid. 'This moment should be recorded with a camera. Too bad I can't use phones.'

_So they are all half-bloods, then_, thought the son of Nemesis.

'Stop it, Jason, you're tickling me,' Percy said in a strained voice. The blonde guy called Jason stopped rubbing his back, chuckling slightly. There was a trail of saliva on his chin, unnoticed by him and the others. Ethan hesitated, but he wiped it anyway with the heel of his right palm. His cheeks burned a little as his face hovered over Percy's a little_ too_ close. Sunglasses-covered hazel eye met with the green shade of the sea ones, staring curiously at him. He gulped.

The son of Poseidon looked intrigued, before muttering, 'Thanks, man.' The blush on the sea prince cheeks burned deliciously. Afraid that his voice might give him away, Ethan settled for a ghost of a nod. He wiped the mess on the table with the used napkin, feeling everyone's eyes on him. Annabeth narrowed her stormy grey eyes a little and he had to look away before recognition took over the girl.

He straightened up, bowing his head and leaving as the small group of demigods chorused words of gratitude to him, although involuntarily swayed his hips as he walked away. He wondered if any of them checked out his bottom.

_Whoa, no time for stupid fantasies, idiot_, he chided himself.

His lips trembled guiltily as he walked, bringing the heel of his right palm up to his nose and sniffed up the lingering smell of the ocean and blueberry bits. They were still trembling as he carefully licked at the heel of his palm, the salty taste of the ocean and the sweet one of pastry dominating his tongue. Oh, and a dim taste of spicy _wasabi_. Disregarding that, it tasted delicious. He felt his cheeks burnt as he took another taste of his beloved's _drool_, stepping behind the counter once more.

'What happen? You looked flustered. Got a cute guy's number?' Mirai piped up behind him, causing him to withdraw his hand away in an alarming speed. He jumped, yelping in surprise and cannot help but poking his friend's side hard, causing her to jump as well, giggling. Pulling away the sunglasses, he grunted, 'Not that, dummy.'

Ethan glanced towards a gilded mirror decorating one side of a pillar. A wooden sign was nailed above it, engraved with the words '_Appearance matters. Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success'_, spreading the message for all staff to always dress smartly during shifts.

Behind the mirror, his cheeks were flushed, tinged slightly pinkish cherry, and saw the reflection of Mirai tapping the right one, claiming his cheeks were softer than fluffy white _baozi_s. He swatted her finger away. Looking down, he sighed, knowing he has to wash his hand eventually, a hint of disappointment tying a knot in his stomach.

'Yo, man. What're you doing?' his friend gushed up as she watched him search for something frantically. He has to preserve the scent, somehow. Grabbing a random clean napkin from inside a drawer, he carefully wiped the heel of his palm, pressing the fabric a little bit more forceful than it requires. Mirai watched his behaviour with mild interest, staring deeply through the cute weirdo.

'Hey, miss. We're paying up,' said a terribly familiar voice, reverberating through his skull. _Oh my gods_, panicking, he fumbled for his sunglasses.

And so that was the time his sunglasses decided to betray him and disappeared out of sight. He cursed under his breath.

Head hung low, his averted his eye to the tiled floor as the guy called Jason retrieved cash from his wallet for Mirai who was behind the cash register. Percy was beside him, whistling a tuneless song, his eyes gazing at the gleaming clay figurines decorating the counter and the ever waving _maneki neko_. Ethan took a glimpse and saw the sea prince's slender neck, and imagined himself kissing the crook of it.

'Are you okay?' Percy suddenly asked him as he glanced away abruptly, his face blushing so profusely he knew any people would notice his body's betrayal. Especially when he was dealing with such a situation. _Ignore the eye-patch, ignore the eye-patch_, Ethan was almost pleading in his thoughts. Looking down once again, he nodded as his throat constricted.

That was when the son of Poseidon decided to ask the question he feared the most. 'Hey, do I know you?'

He shook his head vigorously, looking awkwardly suspicious with his lowered head. Percy shook his head, dazed. Well, it was impossible, whatever inside his head was. The revenge's child heaved out a sigh of relief quietly, muttering a silent prayer of gratitude to the gods as Percy shrugged off the question. 'Sorry about that,' Percy said, and he can almost hear the apologetic grin of his beloved.

He heard the excited chatter of the girls as the boys lead them towards the exit of the café after the payment for their dinner. Mirai looked at him, lifting his chin gently with her finger. 'Are you okay? You look sick, Ethan-kun,' she asked in a worried tone. Ethan lifted up the Percy-scented napkin and breathed the sweet-and-salty smell deeply.

With his voice muffled, he muttered happily, 'yup, sick with love.'

The girl's rich brown eyes widened, a grin forming on her face. She nudged at him excitedly. He looked longingly at the four silhouettes (well, actually only one of them; the raven-haired one) as Mirai placed her arm around his shoulder, smiling at the view as well.

And that was when Athena's brat decided to turn her golden head back towards them.

Eyes narrowed, she hesitated on her steps, and when she saw Ethan, she stopped dead on her tracks, mouth agape and eyes widened in disbelief. He froze, not knowing what to do. As his brain clicked back to work, he found an excuse to wipe the meticulously spotless counter.

_Please, please._

Bracing himself for the worst, he finally glanced up. Annabeth was gone.

* * *

><p>Nemesis watched her son shamelessly drowning himself in a baby blue napkin, making lewd-sounding noises through his nose. She took a chopstick and hit his head sharply, producing a loud <em>thwack <em>and jingling noises that were of her bangles'. 'Ow!' he exclaimed, rubbing his bruised head. 'I will not deal with your hormonal frustration, child,' she said, not amused as Ethan grinned cheekily at the memory of the incident two weeks ago, lips brushing slightly against the Percy's drool-stained napkin.

'So that's about it,' he chewed his bottom lip, finishing his story.

Nemesis nodded and stretched her back like a lanky cat, a gesture so unlike her. 'Well, I am a busy goddess, so let's head back to your apartment and pack up,' she said. 'Wait. What about my job, the rent and basically everything else?' he asked urgently. This was not a decision that should be done overnight. He has to think about it first. Nevertheless, the goddess considered the matter as if it was not such a big deal.

'It is about time to fulfil your wish.'

Ethan was suddenly aware of the presence of two _orizuru_s that was folded neatly inside his leather wallet. He never left them out. He carried his wish everywhere. 'Oh.'

A shrill cry sliced through the air. 'You!' someone snapped. Ethan glanced up to find Mirai fuming, her face furiously red. Flipping her brown braid with a beautiful distinguished gesture, she pointed her finger towards the goddess of revenge, who gazed through her with interest.

'We broke up and you came back?' She turned towards Ethan, eyebrows raised in sight of the betrayal. 'Ethan Nakamura, why do you even bother talking with this idiotic son of a…' her voice trailed off in a series of hard core curses and dirty words. She rarely address him by his full name unless she was overcome with emotions. Nemesis just smirked.

So the girl saw the goddess as her _ex-boyfriend_? Noting her ability to assume the form as someone you wanted to take revenge on, this was quite fascinating for the revenge goddess.

'Mirai-chan, calm your ass down, and wait behind the counter. Let me talk to him…' he hesitated, wondering if he got the pronoun right, '…first. I'll fill you in later.' Still seething with fury, the waitress stomped her feet all the way to her designated place and hugged her figure, a frown in place.

Nemesis twirled a stand of her curly hair lazily, as she observed the _sakura_ blossoms hanging on the whitewashed ceiling. 'Athena has established a school to educate children of the gods. The Gigantes war was over a month ago and the camp was almost destroyed during that war with Gaea. Well, since this is not summer, most campers have already transferred schools to enrol themselves there.' Ethan was silent for a moment.

'Wasn't I supposed to be dead?'

'You succeeded to believe in time with patience and diligence. You have waited long enough. Messed up as it is, the world is now peaceful again; with no possible threats in the near future. This is your reward to accept, depending on your own courage to face them. Well, let's just say it will not be a long-term surprise enough for inflicting damage to them.

'They will be happy for every blissful and delightful turn of event right now.' She paused. 'Like your return.'

Ethan nodded.

Standing up, he breathed in the friendly scent of the café, the delicious smell wafting through the air, the humming of countless noise of the hungry costumers, the gentle whiff of flowers and cream, and the aroma of the variety of scrumptious delicacies.

He was going to miss every of this; Mirai's courteous smile beckoning visitors inside, the welcoming waves of the _maneki neko_, the delectable leftover treat of chocolate cream and maple syrup and countless bliss of working in a café.

But first things first. Before his departure, he will have to console a sobbing Mirai first as soon as she hears about him. Smiling ever so slightly, he walked slowly and surely towards the still frowning girl.

His heart was giddy with excitement on the prospect of the future. Of meeting his dearest.

Percy was dozing off on a bench at the courtyard of the school, a book left untouched on his lap. Besides him, Jason Grace was watching his friend contentedly; book in hand but eyes unmoving at the sight of the sleeping son of Poseidon.

A stray dead leaf landed on his cheek and being such a good companion, Jason blew it away. The sudden gust of cool air woke the sea prince up in a jolt though, and he found himself staring at a pair of startling sky blue eyes behind golden-rimmed glasses. He almost fell off the bench in surprise, and the son of Jupiter chuckled. 'Morning, bro.'

'Morning,' Percy said, rubbing his eyes groggily and stretching his back. Jason glanced at his watch. 'The break's almost over. I think we should head back to class,' Jason said, standing up and smiling as he straightened his necktie. Percy hummed in agreement and stood up, following his friend back inside the main building.

As they strolled past a marble statue of Athena standing proudly at the entrance, Jason caught a sight of a woman wearing blood red rocker-style apparel with black boots standing in front of the gilded main entrance of the administration building, an unfamiliar boy in tow. 'Bro, is that a new student?' he voiced out his speculation at Percy, who was hanging on to him with both his arms around Jason's shoulders, still half-asleep. That guy is impossibly clingy when it comes to sleep.

'Huh, what?' Percy grunted, his voice muffled. Jason fought a blush as the warm air tickled the nape of his neck. 'Dude, stop that.' He removed Percy's arms and turned him around to face the long hallway. 'There.' Annoyed, he glanced up and squinted for a better look.

'Who's that?' he asked, perking up. Jason smiled at his friend's curiosity. 'Wait. Wha –,' Percy spluttered in his speech. 'It can't be,' he said simply, as the son Jupiter stared at him questioningly.

His heart thumped in a faster pace. He took long strides, his eyes stubbornly unblinking, afraid that the silhouette of the boy might disappear as soon as he closed them. His breathing went shallower. Jason followed close behind, taking up speed and probably wondering at Percy's sudden movement.

It cannot be, it simply _cannot_ be. The slim-built frame, the fair skin, lips pursed adorably as the hazel eye studied the atmosphere of the school. The eye-patch. Gods, the eye-patch. Percy cannot stop himself from running at the last few steps before the boy. His eyes burned, and a tear trickled across his left cheek.

'Ethan?'

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Notes<strong>: This particular chapter, albeit longer than the preceding chapters, are a little bit of a crossover from Harry Potter :D sorry if it gets a little bit wild out of my imagination but I can't help it. Anyhow, it's in my plans to publish a crossover of PJO and HP in the near future.

I am really sorry if anyone noticed my delay, but I am but a little bit busy and also writing another fic that will focus on Nicercy (perhaps), so for anyone; my followers, the kind favourites and basically any readers who stumbled upon this first tale of mine, a very deep thanks for your patience and diligence. You are one of the reasons I continued to write. I love you guys, seriously.

I am also sorry for perhaps the confusing timeline in this particular chapter. Okay, so Ethan worked at the café for a year before he enrol in Athena's school. I hope you guys got the idea.

And yep, Mirai-chan is the OC of this tale. Her name means 'future'. And her surname is most likely Kanbara. (#kyoukainokanata :D)

For those interested in 'do-you-knows' (well, since this chapter is full of foreign terms):

_Empousai_ are the servants of the goddess Hecate, beautiful female vampires that drink men's blood. Their distinguishable features are their mismatched legs, one resembles a goat's and another made of mechanical Celestial bronze.

_Onigiri_ are simply Japanese riceballs usually set with _nori_; which is seaweed.

_Udon_ is a type of thick wheat flour noodle of Japanese cuisine, often served hot as a noodle soup in its simplest form, as kake udon, in a mildly flavoured broth called kakejiru, which is made of dashi, soy sauce, and mirin.

A _baozi_ is a type of steamed, filled bun or bread-like item in various Chinese cuisines, as there is much variation as to the fillings and the preparations. (They are yummo ;D).

The _maneki neko_ (beckoning cat) is a common Japanese figurine (luck, charm, talisman) designed to bring good luck.

_Chibi_ is a Japanese slang word for 'small person' or 'little child'.

_Sakura_ are cherry blossoms flower.

_Kimono_ and _yukata_ are traditional Japanese garments. Yukata are usually worn during summer.

**Reviews are always more than welcomed.** I need to improve and I am still in the process of learning, you know?

_Sincerely, Hecate._


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